Tears For The Fallen
by Medie
Summary: Prequel to 'Magnetic North'. Zack must deliver the news about Brin, and deal with it himself


Title: Tears For The Fallen  
  
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Azar for the title!  
  
Spoilers: For Cold Comfort.  
  
Disclaimer: Dark Angel and all its characters and concepts aren't mine but Cory is. *G*  
  
Summary: After the events of 'Cold Comfort' Zack must tell Cory about their sister.  
  
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Tears For The Fallen  
by M. Edison  
--------------  
  
Standing there, looking up at the building, Zack frowned. He *really* didn't want to do this. It hadn't   
happened much...him having to tell Cory one of the kids had been taken. That Manticore had them.   
*Lydecker* had them. But when it did, she never failed to take it hard. And now that he had to tell her it  
was Brin...  
  
-------  
  
Cory was tending her herb garden when she heard the man approaching. Ordinarily, she'd be on her   
guard — ready to take the guy out. But this time, she knew it was Zack.   
  
Turning to greet her Manticore "brother" with a smile, she held up the pot in her hands. "Almost ready for  
drying."  
  
"Great." He responded with a faint smile. "It looks great Cor."  
  
But, as always, she knew him too well and her smile vanished. Setting aside the plant, she walked over.   
"What is it?"  
  
He looked out at the skyline, revealed by the wall of windows.   
  
"Zack! What is it?" Her eyes met his and he frowned.   
  
"They got Brin."  
  
There, it was out. Done. Mission accomplished. He'd told her. End of responsibility right?  
  
Even as her expression turned to one of pain, and her eyes hinted at tears, Zack knew better. He and Cory  
took care of the others. It was the responsibility they'd taken upon themselves after the escape. Well, he'd  
taken it on then realized he needed the help and as the designated medic and one of the older X5's, she   
would be the most logical help. They'd fallen into a good rhythm; he kept the kids physically safe while   
Cory provided the emotional stability they needed. She expressed the emotions that he, himself, had a   
hard time voicing. It was a good balance that worked for them – unless it came to each other.  
  
That's when things got complicated.  
  
She always tended to ignore his orders for no apparent reason other than sheer stubbornness or mischief's  
sake. It was infuriating. Likewise, he tended to shrug off her mothering when it suited him. Like when he   
was too busy plotting their next move or when he wanted nothing more than to be on the move. Both of   
which happened frequently and usually led to Cory threatening more bodily harm than what he already had   
unless he stayed still.   
  
Then there were the times when she was upset and he had to be the comforter. Those were the times Zack  
was out of his field and he knew it. Times like now.  
  
"How?" She asked finally, her voice holding the smallest of quivers.  
  
"We were in Seattle. Brin got sick. Some kind of spontaneous mutation...a rogue military unit grabbed her   
then Lydecker, he got ahold of her. She's at Manticore by now." Zack held her gaze steadily, not wanting   
to let on how much he was leaving out.  
  
Which consisted of the parts about Max.  
  
A minute flash of guilt assailed him before he shoved it aside. Yes, he knew that Cory deserved to know   
he knew where Max was. Of all the X5's Cory'd been closest to Max and Zane. Even now, she still   
visited Zane on a semi-frequent basis. It was how she did business. She checked up on the kids, mothered  
them, spent time with them. She was the one who did the maintenance so to speak. He usually only showed  
up when trouble was afoot.   
  
Yeah, he knew he should tell Cory about Max. The part of him that her brother was firmly in support of that.  
But the part of him that was the soldier, X5's CO, had a different opinion altogether. As it was, in the soldier's  
opinion, Cory already demonstrated a preference for visiting Zane. She seemed to find more reasons to go   
there. To hang with her baby bro. He couldn't take the risk that she'd let her responsibilities slide if she knew   
where Max was. Family was family yes. But Cory had more than them to protect. She had the same   
responsibilities he did. And he didn't want to put her in a situation where she'd fail in those responsibilities   
because of her closeness to Max or Zane. He didn't want to see the look of guilt in her eyes when she   
blamed herself for losing one of the kids.   
  
He wouldn't let it happen.  
  
He knew he wasn't the best in the expressing emotions department but he sure knew how to demonstrate  
them. It was in his fierce protectiveness of the kids. What he couldn't say in words to them he said in   
actions.   
  
Unfortunately, Cory was damn good at reading those actions.   
  
"What are you leaving out?"   
  
While she was good at reading his body language, he was also damn good at reading hers. Angry glint in   
her eyes, ramrod straight spine. The soldier's posture. Blunt words. To the point.  
  
She wasn't about to let go until he spilled the rest of it. Supposing she had to follow him from California   
clear to Alaska to get her answers she would. That was how she worked. Sometimes he admired her   
determination. Other times he wanted to throttle her for it. At that moment, throttling was looking pretty  
attractive.  
  
"Drop it, Cor."   
  
"No." She set down her plant, her tears still flowing – a mixture now of grief over Brin and anger at him.  
"You're leaving something out and I want to know what the hell it is. Spill it Zack. Or I swear..."  
  
"Or what Cory?" Her older 'brother' countered angrily. "You'll beat it out of me? Forget it baby sister.   
You're good but you're not that good."  
  
"You'd be surprised." She bit back.  
  
"No I wouldn't."   
  
They glared at each other for a long moment, his angry eyes boring into her crying ones.   
  
Finally Cory broke eye contact and turned to stalk across the wide open room to the area she'd made up  
as a bedroom. Grabbing her backpack, she started stuffing clothing and supplies into it, pausing only to   
swipe at her tears.  
  
"What are you doing?" Zack demanded watching her jerky movements.  
  
"What's it look like." She snapped back. "I'm going to Seattle."  
  
"Why?"   
  
"You won't tell me what happened, so maybe I should go there and find out for myself."  
  
"You're crazy." He yelled, worry pushing his buttons. "Lydecker's probably still got people combing the  
city looking for me! Its an unnecessary risk!"  
  
"Unnecessary by whose standards?!" The blonde woman barked back, throwing things into her backpack  
with more vigour. "We agreed, Zack. Complete disclosure when something like this happened. It's the   
only way we can prepare, try to prevent it from happening again!" She grabbed her own bottle of   
tryptophan and opened the lid, checking the supply.  
  
Emotion making her movements jerky, she fumbled the bottle and the pills spilled out onto the bed and   
floor.  
  
Cursing, she dropped to her knees and tried to gather them up, her tears impairing her vision. Finally she  
gave up and tossed the bottle down, holding her face in her hands.  
  
The display brought Zack to his knees next to her and, anger forgotten, he pulled her into a hug as his own  
emotions about the situation burst to the surface.   
  
Tears intermingled as the siblings embraced, giving into the grief over the loss of their sister. She might still  
live but they both knew Brin might as well be dead. Though they both wanted nothing more than to go to  
Manticore and do whatever it took to get Brin back, they knew it was next to impossible to pull off. Not   
even if all the escaped X5's banded togther to make the attempt.   
  
There were just too many factors.  
  
It was impossible.  
  
No matter how much they wanted Brin back. They couldn't take the risk.   
  
'Maybe not,' a tiny voice nagged at Zack. 'Maybe you can't get Brin back, but you can give Cory   
something else. You could tell her about Max.'  
  
Sitting back, he pushed her hair away from her face and she smiled shakily.  
  
Maybe he would. He'd also give Cory more details about Brin's illness. What he'd been able to glean from   
Lydecker. She'd want to know. Just in case it surfaced in one of the others. One of them.  
  
But not now.  
  
Now was the time to remember their baby sister. To grieve over the loss of her from their number.   
  
To grieve over the fact that, at least for one of them, Manticore had won.   
  
Yes they were soldiers grieving for a fallen compatriot but they were also family.   
  
Family, not soldiers whose thoughts were on strategy or the next time Manticore would come hunting. No,  
their thoughts were focused on remembering their sister. Emotions ruled over logic.   
  
Eventually they would talk strategy again. They'd argue whether or not to move one of the kids, whether   
or not they should move all the kids. They'd probably even argue whether or not Zane should continue to  
keep his dog.   
  
They would go on. They always did. It was what they did.  
  
But for then. For one brief moment in time they let their tears flow and their grief to rule.   
  
It was what they did, how they walked the line between soldier and human.   
  
They fought back, but when they lost, they grieved. And remembered.  
  
It was what they did. 


End file.
